A major highlight of this year’s Saint Lucia Jazz & Arts Festival was undoubtedly—the Caribbean Fusion segment which set off the musical sparks at the iconic Pigeon Island National Park, to culminate the last leg of the event.
It was a mix of ‘masterclass and magical wonder’ emanating from Caribbean greats Machel Montana and Beres Hammond, as they literally rocked the house.
The festival experience can be likened to an amazing musical journey, interspersed with pulsating sounds and rhythms reverberating at the PINL, as patrons flocked to the venue to savour an enticing presentation.
With ‘no-holds barred’, the SLJAF’s Caribbean Fusion segment was indeed a delightful attraction that brought out the largest attendance to the shows, and the evening crowd were literally blown away with a heavy up-tempo showpiece.
The fans could not stand still and over the course of the next three to four hours, patrons got into a ‘rock and groove’ mode dancing away to Beres’ Lovers Rock renditions; while they jumped and waved, and screamed with sheer enjoyment to Machel’s mash-up session.
At one stage, it appeared that Beres took on the role of a class teacher, as he led the fans with opening lines and humming ‘beats’ into the tunes and they sang along. They lapped up every line from his repertoire of hit songs, such as; “Giving Thanks”, “She Loves Me Now”, “Tempted to Touch”, “Putting Up Resistance”, “Double Trouble”, and “No Disturb Sign” among other tunes.
But, it was Machel – the ‘King of Soca’ that brought the house down with his ‘Machel Madness’ and ‘Happy’ attitude. From the moment he came onstage and barely into his third tune, the fans went wild with ecstasy as they jammed and swayed with foot-stamping energy to the infectious Soca beats that the Trinidadian ‘super-star’ is known for. Machel and his crew let it out hit after hit, delivering crowd favourites, such as, “Mr. Happy”, “Fast Wine”, “Getting on Bad”, “Like a Boss”, “Mr. Fete”, and “Vibes Cyah Done”. Towards the end of his performance, Machel performed the “Family Song”, “…ah Moving with me familee”, a popular Soca number that he collaborated with Caribbean Soca stars Bunji Garlin and Skinny Fabulous.
Local artistes were also in the spotlight, and Meshach set the stage ablaze with a powerful opener at Caribbean Fusion. His performance kicked off the night with vibrant energy and set the tone for an unforgettable evening.
Ezra the Fun Machine raised the bar to higher heights with his performance, which included bringing on stage a host of his friends to accompany him for an exciting presentation.
The authorities reported that in excess of 8,000 patrons attended the jazz party- Caribbean Fusion style and the reviews have been raving over social media about this epic performance.